June 2011 Recipients
New Zealanders will be able to easily find their way through the Southland Wetland Heritage Trail courtesy of a $2,100 grant which will go towards producing a brochure of the area.
The extra funding provided by the Mazda Foundation will support the National Wetland Trust’s aim of helping people visit wetlands safely. The organisation is currently working with the Southland Wetlands Working Party to build a fun walking and driving trail for visitors to enjoy and learn about wetlands in this magnificent part of the country.
Karen Denyer, Executive Officer of the National Wetland Trust, says, “We would like to get more New Zealanders to visit and appreciate New Zealand’s rare and special wetlands. By encouraging visitors to these beautiful sites, we hope to teach them about the value they bring to the environment.
“We believe that the greater their understanding and appreciation for the wetlands, the more they will want to get involved in community wetland restoration projects.”
The brochures will be complete with maps, directions, images and information to guide visitors through these sites. They will feature pages on the special flora and fauna of the Southland wetlands, explain why wetlands are important and how people can help to look after them.
The driving trail will take visitors to seven wetlands, from the internationally significant Awarua-Waituna wetlands near Invercargill, northwest to Te Anau and looping back.
